EDITORIAL

What’s in an interim?

Posted 7/23/15

William Holland, who the School Committee named interim superintendent last week, has brought impetus to a department that has floundered in recent months over a series of missteps, leaving some to …

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EDITORIAL

What’s in an interim?

Posted

William Holland, who the School Committee named interim superintendent last week, has brought impetus to a department that has floundered in recent months over a series of missteps, leaving some to question the safety of our schools and who’s in charge.

As reported in today’s paper, Holland has done a lot in the four days he’s been on the job. Much of his time has been spent familiarizing himself with the system and its department directors. He’s visited all of the city’s schools and been briefed on their physical condition. He’s met with directors.

That is what would be expected of anyone stepping into the job. But Holland hasn’t wasted time in initiating a search for a permanent superintendent, a task he will coordinate. The job has been posted and he aims to advertise the position as widely as possible.

Key to us is that Holland – who has served as state commissioner of education and held jobs as a superintendent, including on an interim basis in Central Falls – understands to be effective, the search is a two-way street. We imagine the School Committee is looking for a qualified individual, a quick learner with a vision who can pull the system together and lead. It should be evident, however, that such an individual would want an accurate picture of Warwick’s conditions so as to assess their chances of putting it together.

Holland knows this. He knows viable candidates will ask tough questions and want to see the bright side of Warwick schools as well as the warts.

That’s why we’re encouraged by Holland’s active engagement in negotiating a contract with teachers, involvement in the ongoing plan for the consolidation of schools and assessment of department administrators. He is learning both the limitations and opportunities of the system and looking to put the system on a firm footing.

Finding the right person should not be a matter of luring them to a job they can’t perform or misrepresenting the issues they would face. Nonetheless, putting things in place and addressing issues now will not only help the newcomer, but also, and as important, restore morale and put some shine back on Warwick schools.

Comments

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  • Justanidiot

    Hard questions for this position:

    If you add 2 plus 2 will the answer be somewhere in the 3 to 5?

    What is the best way to throw money at a problem?

    Do you have a basic understanding of what the law is governing this position? Follow up - if you do have this understanding, are you willing to slip away in the night if you break any of them?

    What is your view of temporary tattoos applied by teachers onto the skin of students?

    Thursday, July 23, 2015 Report this

  • Gonewiththewind

    Talk about bad timing...How is the Warwick secondary schools going to complete a major consolidation project with an Interim superintendent until the end of the year and a new superintendent in January? They have a new Director of Secondary Ed and a couple of disgruntled administrators who had their offers to help soundly rejected by the school committee. This pending consolidation is the biggest challenge faced by the school community since the opening of the Toll Gate complex. The physical move alone, which will take place during summer vacation will be next to impossible to complete and will cause major problems without teachers onboard helping to insure everything ends up in its proper place. Now add transportation, separating Gorton's new 8th graders and incoming 7th graders into Veteran and Winman students.Plus, reassignment of 100's of teachers and other employees...lay off notices to administrators and teachers coming in April 2016., Hang on Warwick, you ain't seen nothing yet.

    Thursday, July 23, 2015 Report this

  • JohnStark

    Gone: Fair points, all. You've made a compelling argument as to why the new supt. should be from outside RI, perhaps outside New England, and have no relatives in Warwick. He/She needs to say: "I've reviewed all relevant information. Here's what we're going to do, and here's why. Let's get moving. If you're not on-board, we'll find someone who is." It's really that simple.

    Thursday, July 23, 2015 Report this